band is simply going to ride the riff while guitarist Buz McGrath shreds. But as the solo progresses, fellow guitar player Ken Susi and bassist John Maggard join in, and the solo becomes a magnificently majestic group effort.
It’s a killer peak, but Unearth intensify it by having vocalist Trevor Phipps chant the refrain over drummer Derek Kerswill’s lean kick beat while the guitar sustain slowly slips into feedback, offering the effect of a momentary break in the action until the main riff slams back in. Of course, when it does, it sounds harder and faster than before— when it’s actually just the contrast that makes it seem more powerful.
There’s some truly brilliant arranging here, from the title tune, which slips between a rollicking riff (and a killer guitar break) and a jackhammer rhythm, to “Truth or Consequence,” a mid-tempo stomp that manages to balance mega-tuneful lead-guitar lines against ultra-crunchy rhythm work.
Perhaps the most stunning, on that level, is the intricate opening track, “My Will Be Done.” Unearth pull off a number of impressive tricks here, from layering riffs to lend the intro an almost orchestral grandeur to using shifting beats to amp up the excitement without actually increasing tempo. But it’s never burdened with the sort of music-school hot-dogging that can make prog metal sound like leftovers from somebody’s guitar lesson. The March is all meat, no filler.
Phipps has said that the album “symbolizes both the evil and the hopeful sides of humanity,” and this may be so. But The March doesn’t make lyrical content its focus; instead, its songs offer maximum musical impact through some of the smartest writing in metal. And who could complain about that? J.D. CONSIDINE
TREVOR PHIPPS
“GRAVEOFOPPORTUNITY” The dudes have been referring to it as our “power ballad” even though it isn”t really a ballad; there”s just a lot more melodic parts to it than our songs in the past have had. It was more of a speed-metal track when we were originally writing it, but on the last day of preproduction, the dudes weren’t really all that stoked on it. I went out to get my car fixed and when I came back I brought a case of Landshark beer. We just started drinking and all of a sudden we were like, “Let’s try this.” Buz [McGrath, guitar] had a riff, which kind of pieced together a whole different song and changed the whole vibe and mood. Within the band, we still call it “Landshark.”
“LETTING GO”
That song was actually put together by both Buz and Derek Kerswill, our drummer. I opened the door for the other dudes to write lyrics and Derek had something that he wanted to write about. He’s had a tumultuous time with his mom his entire life and it’s
a very emotional track for him, so I tried to channel that and put that down on the song.
This was a challenge for me because the verses are really from more of a classic thrash standpoint. The way that the drums were played, Derek was hitting a down beat when my brain wanted an up beat—or vice-versa—and I had a hard time with the timing. So that one took me a few hours to record, and Adam [Dutkiewickz, producer] kept drilling down on me to get it perfect. It took awhile, but I think the final product is great.
I think this is the most classic metallic tune on there. It’s got all guitar leads, the ups and downs, the breakdowns, the speed. At the end it’s got more of an arena-rock, giant-sounding guitar lead part, where you just picture fists in the air and people screaming along. I think that song will be a live staple for this album cycle and going for ward. ADEM TEPEDELEN
After the relative failure of the Haunted’s experimental The Dead Eye, and with the Björler brothers moonlighting in reunited metal legends At the Gates, Versus had to be an undeniable work. “Moronic Colossus” starts things off perfectly, though, with a thrash, bang, and catchy chorus; “Pieces” delivers crawling old-school Swedish death and a classy guitar solo. Both pissed-off neo-thrasher “Little Cage” and mid-tempo groover “Trenches” absolutely attack. But in true Haunted fashion, the band blows its load early. Luckily, it’s still enough to make this the great Haunted record we knew they had in them. GREG PRATT
The Haunted VERSUS (CEN TURY MEDIA)
hardcore-tinged “Roshambo” and the anthemic “Boy,” both of which showcase Bayside’s creative interpretation of Midwestern punk instead of simply regurgitating the subgenre’s predictable power-chord progressions. The only drawback is the album’s acoustic closer, “Moceanu,” which would sound more appropriate as a sing-along at a bar mitzvah reception than at an all-ages punk show. JONAH BAYER
Bayside SHUDDER (VICTORY)
New York’s Bayside have always sounded influenced by Chicago pop-punk acts like Alkaline Trio and Smoking Popes, but that’s never been more evident than on their latest. Although it’s consistently good throughout, the album’s most satisfying moments are the
Descending from the Pacific Northwest like Seattle’s own four horsemen (plus a keyboardist), Book of Black Earth follow up their 2006 full-length debut, The Feast, with an even thicker and more satisfying blast of apocalyptic extreme metal. On Horoskopus, the band absorbs genres with ease, at times sounding like Neurosis dabbling with death metal, Remission-era Mastodon (were it symphonic), or Entombed gone completely off their rockers. Book of Black Earth are at their best when they bring the thrash, though—especially on tracks like “Funeral of Peace” and “Total Control,” when the sweet riffs take over and they truly sound like their own band. J. BENNETT CONTINUED
WILL NAVIDSON
References:
http://www.myspace.com/thehaunted
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